Showings and new pendings down as discretionary buyers pull back
North Bethesda, Md., Aug. 11, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — With school around the corner, Mid-Atlantic transactions slowed from last month at 21,407 closed sales, but remained 4.0% higher than last year. Discretionary buyers are holding back with fewer new pending sales and showings compared to a year ago. There were 20,366 new pending sales in July, 2.3% lower than July 2025. The lackluster showing activity, when paired with the fact that active listings are 12.7% higher than last year, indicates that it is predominantly transaction-ready shoppers looking at homes.
Higher-income buyers have been resilient and less impacted by rising mortgage rates. As they continue to purchase, the median sale price has been supported by this subset of buyers. The median sold price in July was $450,999, up 2.5% year-over-year.
“The data shows that discretionary buyers are holding back,” said Bright MLS Chief Economist Lisa Sturtevant. “Both showings and new pending sales were down in July, and we see fewer showings in our weekly statistics as well. The silver lining is that higher-income and transaction-ready buyers have persisted, with closed sales growing in the upper end of the market.”
Sellers added 24,491 new listings in July. New listing activity was 2.9% higher than a year ago, keeping active listings above last year by a decent margin. Higher inventory has alleviated some market challenges, though affordability obstacles continue to restrain some prospective buyers.
Key Facts – Mid-Atlantic Region, July 2026
- Home Prices: The median sold price was $450,999, up 2.5% from July 2025.
- New Pending Sales: There were 20,366 new contracts on homes in June, a 2.3% decline from a year ago.
- New Listings: Sellers brought 24,491 new listings to the market, a 2.9% year-over-year increase.
- Inventory: Total active listings at the end of June reached 51,811, a 12.7% increase from last year.
- Market Pace: The median days on market in July 2026 matched July 2025 at 13 days.
- Showings: Showing activity dipped 4.3% compared to July 2025, with 367,636 total showings.
Philadelphia Metro Overview
- The Philadelphia metro area had 6.1% more closed sales than last year, yet sales still fell short of 2025.
- New pending sales dropped in July, down 4.0% year-over-year.
- The median sold price in July was $430,000, matching June’s record high for the region.
- Higher rates and rising prices held back some buyers in the Philadelphia metro area, and showings were 3.9% lower than last year.
- Overall active listings at the end of July were 12.4% higher than last year. Supply is particularly tight for buyers shopping for detached single-family homes.
Baltimore Metro Overview
- In July, there were 3,020 closed sales, a strong 5.8% increase.
- Active listings have surged and are 20.0% higher than a year ago in the Baltimore metro area, with 7,201 homes on the market at the end of July.
- Despite more choices, showing activity was lower than last year with 51,859 showings, indicating home shoppers are holding back.
- Contract activity also retracted in July. There were 2,864 new pending sales representing a 3.1% decrease from last year.
- Mortgage rates have continued to edge higher, up over 6.5%, causing some buyers to sit out of the market.
Washington, D.C. Metro Overview
- Closed sales were just shy of last year, with 4,690 transactions in the Washington, D.C. metro area in July.
- Higher-income buyers have been more active in the market, and the median price in July was $650,000, 1.6% higher than last year.
- Buyers in the market have more choices with 11,431 active listings at the end of July, which is 11.2% more than July 2025.
- Mortgage rates and higher prices held some DC buyers back and the number of appointments were 4.7% lower, although there were more homes available to view.
- Those buyers who are less rate and price-sensitive will fuel sales in the fall, while first-time and moderate-income buyers will continue to face market challenges.
CONTACT: Christy Reap Bright MLS 2023099362 [email protected]
